Protest at UN Highlights Human Rights Violations in Sindh

The World Sindhi Congress staged a protest in front of the UN office in Geneva to highlight human rights violations in Sindh. The event, joined by various human rights defenders, aimed to draw attention to enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and ethnic cleansing of Sindhi Hindus by the Pakistani state.

The World Sindhi Congress (WSC) staged a demonstrative protest Wednesday in front of the UN headquarters in Geneva, during the 57th Human Rights Council Session, to spotlight human rights abuses in Sindh. The protest witnessed Sindhi activists being joined by Baloch, Pashtun, and other human rights defenders. They protested against Pakistan's targeting of Sindhi activists, exploitation of natural resources, and atrocities against Sindhi Hindus.

The protest aimed to bring the UN and international community's attention to ongoing human rights violations against Sindhi people by the Pakistani state. Major concerns highlighted included enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, ethnic cleansing of Sindhi Hindus, military land grabs, theft of River Indus waters by Punjab, and suppression of Sindhi voices on political and human rights issues.

Speakers emphasized the murder of Shah Nawaz Kumbhar under false blasphemy charges by police, who then desecrated his body post-mortem. Additionally, the gathering addressed the three-year disappearance of Sindhi Hindu girl Priya Kumari, whose abduction remains unresolved despite official acknowledgment.

Hidayat Bhutto, organizer of the World Sindhi Congress in the UK and Europe, stated, "Today we protested in front of the United Nations to highlight the oppression and barbarism happening against us. Human rights activist Shah Nawaz Kumbhar was arrested and killed under blasphemy charges, and his body desecrated by religious extremists. Clerics celebrated the police for this crime, with involvement from local politicians." Bhutto also highlighted widespread issues of abduction and forced conversion of Sindhi Hindu girls, noting the ongoing search for Priya Kumari, and called attention to systemic injustices faced by the Sindhi Hindu community.

Prof. Lakhu Luhana, General Secretary of the World Sindhi Congress, remarked, "We are here to make the UN and the international community aware of Pakistan's crimes against humanity in Sindh, as well as against the Baloch and Pashtun nations. They are decimating our land, people, culture, and harmony. Intervention is urgently needed." The protestors demanded a ban on military land allotments, a halt to new canals on the River Indus, an end to enforced disappearances, and justice for atrocities.

Key demands included a judicial commission to probe Shah Nawaz Kumbhar's murder, justice for extrajudicial killings of Hidayat Lohar and Nasrullah Gadani, the release or court production of missing persons, and freeing of Priya Kumari. They called on the UN to form a Fact-Finding Mission to investigate and act against these wide-ranging human rights violations.

(With inputs from agencies.)